Baba Rahman reveals Conte conversation, tactical incompatibility lead to Schalke 04 loan move

Bought from Bundesliga club Augsburg for £14 million last summer, Ghanaian left back Baba Rahman wasn't exactly a great success in his first year at Chelsea. The 22-year-old offered a slight improvement in out attacking forays, but did little to prove himself in his main function as a defender.

Now back in Germany, on loan at Schalke 04, Baba has revealed that, just as we suspected all along when Conte barely featured the left back in preseason, his playing style wasn't going to be compatible with the new boss, just as it hadn't been with either Mourinho or Hiddink.

"Chelsea manager Antonio Conte told me that he wants his team to be very defensive, but I am a rather offensive full-back. So I would have had very little playing time. Conte advised me to leave on loan. We will see what happens after this season."

"I already know Markus Weinzierl from my time at Augsburg and we worked together very well there. He always gave me a lot of confidence. That is one of the reasons why I think Schalke were the best option for me."

Mourinho especially was very critical of Baba's physicality, preferring to play him against European opposition much more readily than English.  Baba does not dispel this notion; in fact, he plays it up as one of the biggest reasons for his failure in the Premier League - though he couches it in terms of "good" and "bad" football. (Ed. note: whatever helps him sleep at night...)

"A lot of players in England are very powerful, whereas in Germany you see some better football. A lot of Premier League teams are still very much playing 'kick and rush' football."

-Baba Rahman; source: Ruhr Nachrichten via FourFourTwo

Now reunited with the manager who helped him achieve his fame in the Bundesliga, Baba will be looking to bounce back from his bad days in England.

Best of luck to him on this new adventure - it would hardly be surprising if the loan turned into a permanent move at some point - and may Chelsea bring-in a replacement left back more to our manager's (and managers') liking.